A few years ago, my wife, Sue had some seriou...

A few years ago, my wife, Sue had some serious health problems. She had suffered surgery after surgery and had also put on weight. Diets had not helped her and she suffered constantly from undiagnosed pain. One day the whole family sat down and drew up a “wish list”. To our surprise, one of Sue’s items was to run in a marathon. Given her history and physical limitations, I thought her goal was completely unrealistic, but Sue became committed to it.

She began by running very slowly and every day she ran just a little farther than she did the day before. Soon she could run three miles. Then five. Sue kept practicing and longed to run in the St. George Marathon in southern Utah.

On the big day, I parked our van near the finish line, waiting for Sue. The rain was steady and the wind was cold. The marathon had started over five hours ago. The fast and strong competitors had finished already. Several cold and injured runners had been transported past me, and I began to panic. The image of Sue, alone and cold, off the road somewhere, made me sick with worry.

Another hour passed and I spotted a small group running up. As they approached, I could see Sue, in the company of three others, and a woman in her twenties was near Sue. It was obvious that they had become friends during the race. I could see her begin to struggle. But when the finish line came into sight, she confidently even happily picked up her pace the last hundred yards to the finish line. Few people were left to congratulate my wife. They openly praised and embraced her, “She made us believe we could do it,” her new friend stated.

From then on, she was carrying herself differently. Her head was more upright. Her shoulders were squared. Her walk had a new confidence. Her voice held a new, quiet dignity. It was not as if she had become someone new; it was more as if she had discovered a real self she had not known before. It was perseverance that made her realize she was an undiscovered masterpiece with a million things left to learn about herself. She truly liked her newly discovered self. So did I.

1.Why did the author think Sue had an unrealistic goal?

A. She was in bad health condition.　　 B. She occasionally suffered from pains.

C. She was diagnosed with cancer.　　 D. She always had an unhealthy diet.

2.The author began to panic because ________.

A. he was cold and lonely on the road　　 B. he was concerned about Sue

C. he noticed some runners were sick　　 D. he saw his wife was struggling

3.As for “An Undiscovered Masterpiece”, the author refers to ________.

A. Sue’s squared shoulders　　 B. the marathon in southern Utah

C. Sue’s newly-discovered self　　 D. Sue’s newly-made friend

4.The writer wrote this article in order to tell us that ________.

A. Sue did a good job in the marathon

B. Sue made many friends in the race

C. he was grateful because Sue had recovered

D. nothing can take the place of perseverance

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

My wife passed away a few years ago, and I went through the worst time in my life. I even wanted to kill myself. Just for my kids, I had to continue to live and work as a small town doctor at my medical clinic in Hawaii. My kids had gone to live on the mainland, and I was alone. Then they asked me to have a family trip.

On our trip, we turned on the TV at the motel and saw the second plane crash into the World Trade Center. Seeing it falling down, I said to my kids：“ I'm going to Afghanistan.”And a few weeks later, International Medical Corps sent me to set up 20 clinics in provinces where people had no health care. In these field clinics surrounded by frightening shoots or deadly bombs ，we were eventually serving 27,000 patients a month in a very busy schedule.Tired and nervous, I gradually had a sense of achievement, a sense of purpose, and my depression went away.

In the years to follow, I went to Indonesia after the tsunami (海啸), Pakistan after the earthquakes, Sudan after the civil war, and Iraq after more and more bombs. Each time after disasters one after another, hundreds of people were killed, wounded and many more had to flee. We once set up movable clinics in an area with 19,000 refugees,_and it was supposed to hold 13,000 originally. Flu broke out, one of the biggest killers of kids in refugee camps, and it spread like wildfire. Water and food were also serious problems. “Adventure or not？”I often asked myself.

When my wife passed away, I thought my life was gone. But in reality, it was just getting started. At the end of her life, she went unconscious. I held her head in my hands and told her of all the places we would visit and the exciting adventures we would have.

I thought about the moment many times during my“adventures”. I didn't know how predictive those words would be，but I knew that she was still with me.

1.Where has the doctor been in the past few years?

A．Some countries where he could set up clinics.

B．Some African countries where flu broke out.

C．The places where the earthquakes happened.

D．The places that the horrible disasters struck.

2.How would the doctor describe his life after he had worked in Afghanistan?

A．Tired and troublesome.                   B．Busy and risky.

C．Meaningful and helpful.                  D．Frightening and depressing.

3.The underlined word“ refugees” means people________.

A．who are robbed, killed, or wounded           B．who suffer from flu in movable clinics

C．who like to take adventures              D．who have lost homes because of disasters

4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The doctor's wife encouraged him to work in foreign countries.

B．What the doctor said to his wife before her death became reality.

C．The doctor's adventures made him understand the love of his wife.

D．With the true love of his wife, the doctor started to change his life.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When I was struggling with cancer a few years ago，my wife and I formed our own “couple caution circle”．Anytime a doctor came with news of my progress，my wife would give me a big hug. The reports were seldom good during the early stages of my illness，and one day a doctor brought particularly frightening news.Staring at my reports，he said in a low voice，“It doesn’t look like you’re going to make it.”

Before I could ask him a question，my wife stood up，handed me my clothes，adjusted the tubes fastened to my body and said，“Let’s get out of here.This man is a risk to your health.” As she helped me struggle to the door，the doctor came near us.“Stay back，” demanded my wife.“Stay away from us.”

As we walked together down the hall，the doctor attempted to catch up with us.“Keep going，” said my wife，pushing the intravenous (静脉注射的) stand.“We’re going to talk to someone who really knows what is going on.” Then she held up her hand to the doctor.“Don’t come any closer to us.”

The two of us moved as one.We escaped to the safety and hope of a doctor who did not confuse diagnosis with conclusion. I could never have made that walk toward wellness alone.

1.From the passage we know ________.

A．hearing that the husband was not going to make it，the wife went out of her mind

B．the wife’s decision in crisis (危机) contributed to the husband’s wellness

C．the husband was diagnosed with cancer by mistake

D．the husband became weaker and weaker as a result of the treatment conducted by the doctor

2.What’s the author’s feeling when writing the passage?

A．Angry.            B．Thankful.          C．Excited.           D．Sad.

3.What can be inferred from the passage ?

A．The wife was a woman hard to get along with.

B．The doctor was a dangerous man.

C．The wife loved her husband very much.

D．The husband was a man who believed everything would be OK.

4.What would be the best title for the passage ?

A．A Happy Couple In Crisis                  B．Struggle With Cancer

C．In Crisis，Become As One                 D．Don’t Believe The Doctor

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

My wife and I moved into our home two years ago. We had a yard with a lot of _______. Very often when we have flowers, Denise or I would plant some between the rocks, just to add some_______to the area.

Last summer, I found a tiny little plant in the yard that I could not immediately identify. I knew I didn’t plant it and Denise said she didn’t either.

We decided to let it_______growing until we could find out what it was.

Weeks passed and as I made my way back to the_______plant, it appeared to be a sunflower. I decided to_______the weeds（杂草）around it. As I pulled rocks from the area to get to the weeds, I noticed something _______.The sunflower had not_______where I saw it begin. It actually had begun under a big rock and grown under and around it to reach the_______.

That’s when I_______that if a tiny little sunflower didn’t let a big rock stand in its way of developing, we too have the ability of doing the same thing. If we________ourselves like that little sunflower, we can reach where we ________to go and get what we need for growth.

We need to believe in ourselves knowing we have the ________ to achieve our goals. Like the sunflower, it knew it had the ability to get over the rocks because it had ________in itself that it would succeed. Stand tall like the sunflower and be________of who and what we are, and then the environment will begin to________us. We will find a way to go under or around any "rocks" in order to reach our goals.

1.A.flower B.insects C.vegetables D.rocks

2.A.water B.fertilizer C.color D.shape

3.A.stop B.continue C.improve D.escape

4.A.weak B.strange C.lonely D.pretty

5.A.collect B.tend C.remove D.watch

6.A.unusual B.wonderful C.terrible D.valuable

7.A.passed B.started C.left D.died

8.A.air B.top C.sun D.house

9.A.hoped B.realized C.doubted D.regretted

10.A.fill in B.put in C.worry about D.believe in

11.A.forget B.hate C.aim D.wait

12.A.wish B.plan C.ability D.idea

13.A.faith B.energy C.virtue D.courage

14.A.aware B.afraid C.proud D.tired

15.A.forgive B.support C.upset D.affect

高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

A few years ago I had an “aha!” moment regarding handwriting.

I had in my hand a sheet of paper with handwritten instructions on it for some sort of editorial task. It occurred at first that I did not recognize the handwriting, and then I realized whose it must be. I finally became aware of the fact that I had been working with this colleague for at least a year, maybe two, and yet I did not recognize her handwriting at that point.

It was a very important event in the computerization of life---a sign that the informal, friendly communication of people working together in an office had changed from notes in pen to instant messages and emails. There was a time when our workdays were filled with little letters and we recognized one another’s handwriting the way we know voices or faces.

As a child, visiting my father’s office, I was pleased to recognize, in little notes on the desk of his staff, the same handwriting I would see at home in the notes he would leave on the fridge---except that those notes were signed “dad” instead of “RFW’.

All this has been on my mind because of the talk about The rise and Fall of Handwriting, a book by Florey. She shows in her book a deep concern about the fall of handwriting and the failure of schools to teach children to write well, but many others argue that people in a digital age can’t be expected to learn to hold a pen.

I don’t buy it.

I don’t want to see anyone cut off from expressive, personal associations that a pen still promotes better than a digital keyboard does. For many a biographer, part of really getting to know their subjects is learning to read their handwriting.

What some people advocate is teaching one of the many attractive handwritings based on the handwriting of 16^th-century Italy. That may sound impossibly grand---as if they want kids to learn to draw by copying classical paintings. However, they have worked in many school systems.

1.Why was the author surprised at not recognizing his colleague’s handwriting?

2. People working together in an office used to __________.

3. According to the author, handwritten notes ___________.

4. We can learn from the passage that the author _____________.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

It was the beginning of the school year a few years ago and I had a little boy in my class who came from a non­English speaking home. He was very quiet and shy. I wasn’t sure how much he understood during the school day and I was especially concerned that he just stood by himself at break time and did not play.If I tried to talk to him，he would turn away and tightly shut his eyes to hide from me.

After a day or two of this，I decided to seek the help from one of my outgoing and friendly little girls.I called her over and she ran to me，ready to help.

I immediately began a long speech about what I needed from her.I asked her if she would try to get him to play，and I started talking quickly about all these suggestions on how she could start communicating with him. I explained she could do this，she could do that，she could try this idea，she could try that idea.She touched my arm to stop my talking and looked up at me in that wise and special way that only a six­year­old can，and said，“Don’t worry.I speak kid.” And she ran off.

I stood there all alone，silently watching her.It took less than a minute for the two new friends to run off，hand in hand，happily joining a game of tag (捉人游戏) taking place all over the gym.

I often think of that small moment，about what I learned and how important it is for all teachers to speak kid—big kid，little kid and middle kid.I know my focus must be on teaching students how to think，how to approach problems，and how to figure out solutions and teaching them never to let the_opportunity away.We must be ready to learn from our students because those “teachable moments” during the school days are for us，the teachers，as well as our kids.

1.Why did the author worry about the boy?

A．He didn’t dare to look at the author in the eyes.

B．He couldn’t speak English as well as other students.

C．He failed to understand what the author taught.

D．He was unwilling to communicate with others.

2.By saying “I speak kid”，the girl meant that she could________.

A．speak the language that kids understand

B．speak the boy’s native language

C．know what kids want to say

D．speak well like a little kid

3.The underlined words “the opportunity” refer to the chance to________.

A．play at break time　　 B．learn from students

C．solve problems　　 D．speak kid

4.What can we learn from the passage?

A．Gold will shine everywhere.

B．Children are more friendly than adults.

C．Teachers’ thoughts are different from students’．

D．You learn something every day if you pay attention.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Some years ago, a 28­year­old Californian wife and mother of three children died from drinking too much water. Her body was found in her home shortly after she took part in a water­drinking contest that was held by a local radio show. Called “Hold Your Wee For A Wii”， the contest organizers promised a free Wii video game machine to those who drank the most water without going to the bathroom. The woman who died drank about 2 gallons of water during the contest. When she and other participants complained of discomfort and showed signs of pains, they were laughed at by the organizers.

This tragic news story shows the importance of understanding why drinking too much water can be dangerous to your health.

Consuming more water than you need can increase your total blood volume (容量). And since your blood volume exists within a closed system, increasing your blood volume puts unnecessary stress on your heart and blood vessels (血管). Your kidneys (肾) must work overtime to get rid of extra water out of your system. Your kidneys are not a pair of pipes. Flushing more water through your kidneys doesn't necessarily help it become cleaner. Rather, your kidneys can get damaged by unnecessary wear and tear over time. And drowning your system with large amounts of water is one of many potential causes of kidney damage.

Putting unnecessary stress on your system and your kidneys by consuming unnecessary water is an unnoticeable process. For the average person, it is usually impossible to know that this stress exists, as there are usually no obvious symptoms on a moment­to­moment basis. But make no mistake about it: this stress is real and can hurt your health over the long term.

1.Why is the Californian woman mentioned?

A. To lead to the topic of the text.

B. To tell us a tragic news story about a mother.

C. To tell us it can be dangerous to take part in contests.

D. To tell us how much water we can drink at most one time.

2.When the participants showed signs of pains, the organizers ________.

A. became very concerned

B. were laughed at by others

C. tried to reduce their pains

D. didn't pay much attention to them

3.What's the main idea of Paragraph 3?

A. How water is consumed in our body.

B. The importance of water to our health.

C. Why drinking too much water is dangerous.

D. The function of kidneys in consuming water.。

4.The stress caused by consuming unnecessary water ________.

A. isn't that dangerous

B. can never be found out

C. is really harmful in the long run

D. leads to some obvious symptoms

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Years ago in Scotland, the Clark family had a dream. Clark and his wife worked and 36 , making plans for their nine children and themselves to travel to 37 . It had taken years, and they had 38 saved enough money and had got passports (护照) and 39 for the whole family to the United States.

The entire family was filled with 40 about their new life. 41 , seven days before their departure, the youngest son was bitten by a dog. The doctor sewed up the boy but he42 ________a yellow sheet on the Clarks’ front door. 43  the possibility of rabies (狂犬病), they should be quarantined (隔离) for fourteen days.

The family’s 44 was destroyed. They would not be able to make the trip to America as they had 45 . The father, filled with disappointment and 46 , hurried to the dock to watch the ship leave — without the Clark family. 47 of disappointment came to the father. Five days 48  , the tragic news spread throughout Scotland — the mighty Titanic had sunk. The unsinkable ship had sunk, 49  many lives with it. The Clark family should have been on that ship, 50  because the son had been bitten by the dog, they were51  in Scotland. When Mr. Clark heard the news, he 52  his son and thanked him for saving the family. He thanked God for saving their lives and turning 53 he had felt was a(n) 54  into a blessing.

Although we may not always understand, all things 55  for a reason.

1.A. spent               B. counted        C. saved           D. played

2.A. America             B. Europe           C. Japan        D. Africa

3.A. instantly           B. obviously      C. originally      D. finally

4.A. cars               B. ships          C. tickets          D. rooms

5.A. creativity         B. excitement        C. surprise         D. imagination

6.A. However            B. Besides           C. Instead          D. Otherwise

7.A. signed          B. brought       C. hung        D. raised

8.A. Apart from       B. In spite of      C. As for           D. Because of

9.A. passport            B. ship          C. house        D. dream

10.A. imagined           B. planned        C. admitted     D. claimed

11.A. tension            B. courage       C. anger            D. doubt

12.A. Information         B. Tears            C. Letters          D. News

13.A. later              B. after          C. late         D. over

14.A. saving            B. leaving           C. taking           D. killing

15.A. so                 B. or                C. and                D. but

16.A. left behind            B. given out        C. turned away   D. taken over

17.A. envied             B. called            C. blamed           D. hugged

18.A. when              B. what            C. that         D. why

19.A. sacrifice (牺牲)    B .experience       C. comedy      D. misery (痛苦)

20.A. remain             B. disappear       C. happen      D. exist

高二英语完型填空困难题查看答案及解析

Several years ago, my parents, my wife, my son and I ate at one of those restaurants where the menu is written on a blackboard. After a wonderful dinner, the waiter set the check in the middle of the table. That’s when it happened：my father did not reach for the check.

Conversation continued. Finally I realized that I should pick up the check! After hundreds of restaurant meals with my parents, after a lifetime of thinking of my father as the one with dollars, it had all changed. I reached for the check, and my view of myself suddenly changed. I was an adult. I was no longer a kid (child).

Some people mark off (区分) their lives in years, I measure mine in small events. I didn’t become a young man at a particular age, like 16, but rather when a kid who wandered in the streets called me “mister”. These events in my life are called “milestones”(里程碑).

There have been other milestones. The cops (policemen) of my youth always seemed big, even huge, and of course they were older than I was. Then one day they were suddenly neither. The day came when I suddenly realized that all the football players in the game I was watching were younger than I was. They were just big kids. With that milestone gone was the dream that someday, maybe I, too, could be a football player. Without ever having reached the hill, I was over it.

I never thought that I would fall asleep in front of the TV set as my father did. Now it’s what I do best. I never thought that I would go to the beach and not swim, yet I spent all of August at the shore and never once went into the ocean. I never thought that I would appreciate opera, but now the combination of voice and orchestra attracts me. I never thought that I would prefer to stay home in the evenings, but now I find myself passing up parties. I used to think that people who watched birds were strange, but this summer I found myself watching them, and maybe I’ll get a book on the subject. I feel a strong desire for a religious belief that I never thought I’d want, feel close to my ancestors long gone, and echo my father in arguments with my son. I’ll still lose….

One day I bought a house. One day－What a day!－I became a father, and not too long after that I picked up the check for my own father. I thought then it was a milestone for me. One day, when I was a little older, I realized it was one for him too, another milestone．

1.The tone established in the passage is one of ________.

A. sad regret　　 B. amusement

C. happiness　　 D. deep feeling

2.The author mentions the event in the restaurant because ________.

A. that was one of his milestones

B. he paid the bill but he didn’t want to

C. he became a father with dollars

D. that was the last restaurant meal with his parents

3.“Then they were suddenly neither” suggests that ________.

A. suddenly they became older than I was

B. suddenly I knew that they were neither bigger nor older than I was

C. suddenly I realized that I made a mistake

D. suddenly I found myself no longer a kid

4.Which of the following best expresses the author’s thinking?

A. One day is worth two tomorrows.

B. To save time is to lengthen life.

C. Time and tide wait for no man.

D. When an opportunity is lost, it never comes back to you.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

A couple of years ago, when my older daughter was 8,she gently told my wife and me that she’d gotten too old for us to read her books anymore. We didn’t try to talk her out of it or tell her many benefits of reading aloud to a child (even after they can do so themselves). 1.

Two weeks after stopping our bedtime readings, though, my older daughter asked whether we could start again. 2. As she later explained, “Everyone likes to be read to, even adults.” We’ve continued uninterrupted since. Right now, we’re deep into Philip Pullman’s “The Golden Compass.”

3. In most of the studies, people found that reading aloud appeared to strengthen parents’ feelings of competence, improve the quality of their relationships with their children and even reduce parental stress or depression.

Reading aloud to children improves a young mind’s cognitive development (thinking, problem-solving, decision-making) and reduces behavior problems, research shows. As with playing board games, reading to them increases concentration and attention spans.

And yet, too many of us stop before the kids want us to. 4.

The conversations children have around themes and ideas in books help them make sense of the world. And it’s a joyful way to connect and be close with your kid. While reading in bed, my daughters and I lie next to each other, sometimes leaning into one another. 5. It’s as high a quality as quality time gets.

A. She simply enjoyed the practice too much to let it go yet.

B. When she was a young child, we began a nearly daily reading called Milk & Books.

C. We were disappointed but respected her.

D. Reading aloud was significantly beneficial to children and their parents.

E. In Australia, more than a third of children aged 6 to 1l whose parents had stopped reading to them wanted to continue.

F. We laugh and are surprised together and have deep conversations about the novels.

G. It’s one of the most virtuous circles of parenting and teaching.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析